Raheem Sterling and Wilfried Zaha, two of England’s exciting wing prospects,
have been sent back to the Under-21s and will miss out on the chance to play
Brazil twice.

What appears a cautious decision by Roy Hodgson has been taken with the pair’s long-term international development in mind.

England manager Hodgson names his 25-man squad on Thursday to face Neymar and company at Wembley next Wednesday and Sterling and Zaha, who made their senior debuts in Stockholm last November, will be missing.

The pair are in the Under-21s squad to face Sweden at Walsall next Tuesday as Stuart Pearce begins preparing his team for the summer’s European Championship in Israel.

Sterling and Zaha have been earmarked for that tournament, giving them more experience, rather than joining the seniors for the brief trip to Rio for the June 2 friendly at Maracana.

Hodgson and Pearce have talked over the logic of taking prospects like Zaha and Sterling to Rio where they may get only a half of friendly action set against competitive games against Italy, Norway and Israel and possibly more at the Euro Under-21s.

Goalkeeper Jack Butland is expected to be included in the seniors, along with Joe Hart and Fraser Forster, but could feature for the Under-21s this summer. Steven Caulker is another senior squad player Pearce is keen on taking to Israel in the summer. Like Sterling and Zaha, Jonjo Shelvey has been dropped from the seniors to the Under-21s.

Pearce has been annoyed at past Euros to be denied the services of some of his best players.

“It would be nice at some stage to go with every age-appropriate player to a major tournament, taking on the best in Europe who come with their best players more often than we do,” he observed recently.

Pearce has also talked highly of Zaha and Sterling. “Wilfried has been very good while he was with us. They are young players making their way in the game, especially Raheem. He’s 17. He’s come on the scene very quickly this season for Liverpool.

"While we have had him in the development age-groups before, he has really made a mark this season in the Premier League.” Putting Sterling and Zaha in the Under-21s could also indicate that Hodgson sees Theo Walcott as a wide player, rather than a central striker. He also has other options out wide in Ashley Young, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, James Milner and Aaron Lennon.

Hodgson has strength in midfield with Steven Gerrard, Jack Wilshere and Tom Cleverley included with Scott Parker sweating on whether he will be recalled. In defence, Ashley Cole is expected to win his 100th cap while Hodgson can call on Phil Jones and Chris Smalling.

“The last England team, with Beckham, Gerrard, Lampard and Ferdinand was the best for a long while,’’ said John Barnes, the former England winger who scored that spectacular goal at Maracana in 1984. “This one has lots of young, inexperienced players and it is going to be a while before they are able to realise their potential.

“I wouldn’t want to put too much expectation on England winning this World Cup or doing well in it. But if these young players can stay together for the following one, when they are 26-, 27- or 28-year-olds and playing for Manchester United, Chelsea and Manchester City, then you can look to them.”